1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece driven by a pulse motor which serves as an electro-mechanical converter for continuously carrying a second hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional timepiece driven by a pulse motor, a comparatively high frequency signal is divided repeatedly in each of the stages of a frequency divider and a 1 second pulse is derived from the last stage in the frequency divider which is used for driving the pulse motor. The pulse motor is rotated one magnetic electrode pitch per second irrespective of the number of electrodes in the pulse motor. As a result, the second hand which is rotated by or carried by the rotor of the pulse motor is instantly to be stopped at 1 second intervals at each numeral on a dial. In other words the second hand steps every 1 second. It is not required in every day life that time be observed in 1 second intervals. However, there is a crystal oscillating type electronic timepiece capable of being correctly adjusted to less than 1 second and a crystal timepiece which is provided with a chronograph which is required to be read out in units less than 1 second. These crystal timepieces have the disadvantage that time keeping is not correctly effected by a second hand carried or indexed in 1 second increments.
Heretofore movement of the second hand was accomplished by use of a tuning fork, a sound piece and high oscillating balance wheel, etc. as an electro-mechanical converter for continuously carrying the second hand. However, precisely speaking, these converters merely subdivide intermittent movement of the second hand. Therefore, this type of approach does not effect continuous movement of the second hand. In addition, converters have the drawback that reverse rotation, fast feeding, stopping, starting, etc. of the second hand is not easily controllable.